How Woodbine is attracting New Fans

[Round Pen]

Nice Article I Just read on ESPN.com by Bill Finley

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/hor...ill&id=5328333

Since as long as anyone can remember, horse racing has been trying to attract new fans -- trying and failing. Rock concerts, t-shirt giveaways, "Go Baby Go," marketing campaigns, dollar beers, new bets, nothing, really, has worked. At Woodbine, they grew so exasperated that an expensive television production was producing so little in the way of results that they were ready to pull the plug on the show.

But, first, Woodbine management was willing to start over and give it one more try. Their idea was a simple one: make the show all about gambling and portray betting on horses as the exciting cerebral exercise that it is. No longer would they pitch the beauty of the sport or show features on the circuit's top jockeys, trainers or drivers. They would, however, teach you how much a $1 six-horse superfecta box costs.

The results have been nothing short of remarkable. Though ratings are not yet available for all of the shows, which are called "Bet Night Live," one recent broadcast attracted 60,000 viewers or about three times the size of the average audience before the new format was put into place this year. Just as significantly, the new show is producing a significant amount of new customers for Woodbine's on-line wagering site, HorsePlayerInteractive.com. The amount of new sign-ups increased four-fold once the new show started airing.